Facebook Inc.'s mobile photo sharing app Instagram is finally letting users send photos and videos directly to their friends, in an effort to step up the competition against other messaging services like Snapchat. The new Instagram Direct tool will pop up in a icon on the corner of the home screen. Its allows you to send a private photo to as many as 15 friends at once. Kevin Systrom, the chief executive officer of Instagram, said at an event today, "It's like gathering people around a photo, a moment, and being able to have a conversation about them."